Building a Family
by LoreleiElizabeth
Summary: Elizabeth and Henry meet under less than ideal circumstances. They attempt to build a family together but have done things out of order, falling in love might be difficult. Trigger warning: addresses rape
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone. I have been playing with this idea for a while now. During my last story, someone pointed out that I am avoiding the hard parts of my stories, not writing them. So this is an attempt to improve my writing. It might have some similar plot points to my previous story but the intent is to utilize it to improve my writing and give something meaningful to the fandom.

Trigger Warning! This story addresses rape and the aftermath of date rape.

Please let me know what you think, I am really trying to improve my writing and story development.

Elizabeth Adams was broken. She lay naked and exposed on a stranger's bed unable to move. The stranger, she thought his name might be Kevin, was passed out on top of her. He was cold and stiff and completely uncovered. She couldn't remember how she got here. Her head was pounding head she slept with this guy? She only remembered having one drink at the party but clearly, she had gotten carried away. God her head was pounding.

She felt as though she might vomit. She tried to move but the man was heavy and trapped most of her body to the bed. She pushed harder using her free hand this time. That's when she realized he wasn't sleeping. She let out an involuntary scream.

A shirtless man with dark blonde hair burst into the bedroom "Kenny?"

Kenny not Kevin. Elizabeth's brain was spinning. His name is Kenny not Kevin and she was pretty sure that Kenny was dead.

"Oh my god is he dead? Are you OK? Oh shit! Fuck shit fuck!" Henry looked around confused and panicked. "What happened?"

The man helped her get out from under the strange dead guy he helped her dress before calling for another man probably a roommate. The other guy Brian entered the room and called the police immediately from the phone hanging on the wall.

Elizabeth felt as though she was having a nightmare. But the moment bile rose up in her thought she was reminded that this was real.

~~MS~~

The police questioned her extensively but she couldn't remember anything past her first drink.

Kenny had died from over drinking and she didn't even remember meeting him at the party that night before. Thus the police had kindly chosen not to charge Elizabeth with anything so long as you promise to stick around and if she remembered anything she was to contact them.

When she left the police station she found the brunette man from earlier waiting for her. "Elizabeth right? "The man asked remembering her name from the chaos earlier.

Elizabeth nodded, searching her brain for his name. "I'm sorry I don't know that I remember your name."

Henry smiled slightly, it was a crooked smile his eyes were filled with sadness. "Henry McCord I-I was his roommate."

Elizabeth searched his face. She couldn't read him, normally she was good at reading people. "I'm sorry! Where the two of you close?"

Henry shook his head. "No we actually didn't have much in common. He and Brian are on the basketball team and they have scholarships and I am in ROTC and I have a scholarship. I got tossed in with them to fill the extra room. Anyone with a full scholarship has to live in on-campus housing.

"I'm on scholarship too."

Henry looked the blond up and down. She was lean and seemed absolutely gorgeous despite the fact that she was hungover. "Athletic?"

Elizabeth laughed and a snort escaped causing her to blush. "Academic I'm a math major."

Henry smiled, "Sorry for assuming. I thought you might be a track team member. I'm Religious studies, glad to be in the company of a fellow nerd."

"Henry grinned a bit wider and somehow it made him look a little less sad, "Can I offer you a ride back to your dorm?" She had come to the station in a squad car, she would need a ride home. Or at least he hoped she would.

Elizabeth nodded shyly.

Henry grinned and motioned toward his beat up green Jeep. "Want to stop for pizza? I've got a coupon for free breadsticks? You've got to be starving it's almost 3 PM."

Elizabeth look surprised. "Wow no wonder I'm so hungry, But could we do pizza in my room." She had meant to say that differently. She had meant to say that she was hungover. That she might barf. She didn't wanna say it out loud but she might barf again she had done so at Henry's apartment but it was more understandable than that it would be in a pizza parlor.

He looks surprised. Was she coming on to him?

She felt mortified when she saw his face. "I didn't mean it to sound like that like I was seducing you. Today was totally abnormal, I don't usually sleep with random guys. Or any guy for that matter. He was the first." She whispered the last part.

Henry looked at her concerned, "Did he force you?"

Elizabeth looked surprised. "No. No. I don't think so. I was really drunk. I had had a really bad day I clearly just didn't make a choices last night." She paused, "I woke up in bed with a dead guy I feel like I should be freaking out a bit more than I am." She laughed nervously.

Henry shook his head, "I don't think there's a guidebook for this and if makes you feel any better I feel like I should be sadder than I am. I am sad, but not like I should be at least like I feel that I should be." He rambled.

They rode in silence to pick up the pizza and suddenly it was as if they were best friends she teased him about being a coupon clipper and he teased her about her mismatch socks.

Elizabeth's roommate had moved home only a few weeks into the semester after losing her mother to Huningtons. Elizabeth was sad but having lost her own mother she understood why Sarah had to go, so Elizabeth's room was empty. The pair transformed the empty desk into a table.

They ate pizza and discussed the Pythagorean theorem which thrilled Elizabeth immensely. They talked until well past midnight. Henry ended up asleep on what used to be her roommate's bed he woke up to Elizabeth screams on the hours later. His worst fears were confirmed when she recounted her dream to him despite the fact that he was nearly a perfect stranger.

Elizabeth Adams had been drugged and raped.

After that night they spent most days together. And every night Henry climbed through her window to avoid the RA and the no boys rule on the floor. There he would stay in the spare bed all to make sure that Elizabeth never felt alone.


	2. Chapter 2

This is the last part of setup I need for this story. After this we can get to the good stuff! Let me know if the formatting is weird I am posting this from the mobile app.

Thanks!

Elizabeth was constantly surprised by how comfortable she felt around Henry. She always felt safe and respected despite their almost constant close proximity to one another. At night he would wake her up from her nightmares and she would let him hold her. She felt perfectly safe in his arms.

He was constantly respectful of her and her needs. She knew he felt she should report the incident. She wanted to keep her secret and she wasn't even sure why so she told herself that it was because he had died.

She avoided other men. She was distrustful of her male classmates and avoided even sitting in the same row with them in class but Henry was different. He woke her up when she had nightmares, made sure she ate, and held her hair with the stress of everything made her sick to her stomach.

In November as finals began to approach Elizabeth was constantly tired it was likely her courseload she would often say to Henry who worried about her constantly. During the day they never knowledge the right path. It's seem to be what Elizabeth wanted and Henry respected that but at night they couldn't escape it.

Their new normal was interrupted one night during dinner Elizabeth was writing her finals dates into her planner when it hit her. She had missed two periods. She never was late.

Henry left and returned with a pregnancy test and a carton of ice cream.

The little stick turned pink and Henry held her on the bathroom floor while she cried.

Her whole life was suddenly different. It was different after the rape but finding out that she was going to be a mother was even more shocking than she could've ever imagined. Not that she had ever in 1 million years imagine the scenario.

She had just assumed that maybe he had used a condom though now to be honest with herself the thought had probably never crossed her mind until this very moment.

The next day they went to a clinic where a doctor confirmed that Elizabeth was indeed 10 weeks pregnant.

When a nurse asked if Henry was the father the pair froze but before Elizabeth could come up with a response Henry said yes. It was less awkward this way he told her when the nurse left the room.

A sonogram showed that the baby was developing normally and though it seems like nothing a little blob the size of a strawberry two copies were printed off and Henry put one in his wallet and the other in her purse. He couldn't admit it to anyone but he already loved this child.

The discussion that followed surprised both of them.

Neither believed in abortion and even if Elizabeth had, the procedure was nearly impossible to obtain in the 1980s in her state.

Elizabeth's parents had died, leaving her a trust fund to be accessed upon graduation from college. But her aunt who had care over at the trust was extremely conservative and controlled her and Wills trust. She constantly reminded them that they would get nothing more than the prescribed monthly allowance until graduation. That the two needed to learn to live within a budget like normal kids.

She had used the money from Will and Elizabeth's college fund to send them both to boarding school. She expected the two of them to obtain academic scholarships since they were to be sent to such a prestigious boarding schools.

Elizabeth had of course obtained an academic scholarship, the University President scholarship to be exact. Her scholarship only covered her if she had agreed to live on campus all four years and she had because it seemed reasonable.

But now her only option that would allow her to keep her scholarship would require her to live in family housing. The problem was that woman to live in family housing she had to be married. The rule was outrageous and ridiculous and in another mind Elizabeth would've gone on about how wrong and unjust it was to treat women like that.

In her desperate situation she was debating where she could go if she dropped out of college to raise the kid. Or if giving it up for adoption was something that she could handle, the sonogram despite the fact that it didn't seem like a baby reminded her that she was carrying a child, her child and it seemed rather depressing to not see that individual grow into a human into a person.

She had no idea what to do, her education meant the world to her but her life wasn't her own now.

Henry offered her way out, he had offered to marry her. After that they argued for nearly 2 hours, Henry was desperate to ensure that she received an education and that her child was given the best opportunities in both of them felt that remaining with Elizabeth would be best.

After sleeping on it Elizabeth reasoned that the solution provided the best option, though it seemed a bit selfish of her. But she had to do what was best for her kid. And Henry was such an important part of her life. It would help Elizabeth who would keep her scholarship and gain excellent medical care through henries medical insurance provided by the Marines.

So two weeks before Thanksgiving in between Elizabeth's calculus class and Henry's religious theory class tonight at the courthouse and got married.

Elizabeth married her best friend and support system.

Henry married the love of his life even if she didn't know it.

It was just an average Wednesday to most but to the newly married Henry and Elizabeth McCord, it was the start of everything. The day their lives changed forever and the day they became the McCord family.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the kind words, everyone! Hopefully, this lives up to everyone's expectations! We still have a long way to go before the romance, but I have a lot of fun writting them as freinds so I will appoligise in advance if I dragg this out...

The following week Henry appeared at her window right on schedule. She unlocked the window and he handed her his book bag before climbing in the window.

Elizabeth groaned, "How many books did you check out?" she laughed and tossed her books on 'his' desk.

Henry laughed, "Seven. But two are for you."

Elizabeth smiled, "Middle Eastern Conflict in the 1800's?"

"Yep! And another one from Thompson."

Elizabeth's face lit up and she reached into his bag to claim her treasure. She pulled each book out and played them out on the desk. She smiled when she saw her new book from Thompson, he knew her so well! She pulled out the rest of the books and froze when the thick, "What to Expect When You Are Expecting" book. "Is this mine?"

Henry blushed, "I was going to read it, but you can too if you want. I just want to be informed."

Elizabeth looked at him and suddenly wondered what she did to deserve a best friend like him. "Why? Why did you do it? Marry me? You are catholic right? Catholic's don't believe in divorce. Don't you want to wait for someone you love?"

Henry took her hand, "You are my best friend. I do love you." He watched her eyes widen and pause. "My parents are not the loves of each other's lives. But they are best friends." He paused and checked her face. She still looked terrified. "I do believe in divorce; the Catholic Church calls it an annulment. And I think God would forgive me if we did divorce because I am doing this to help you. I can't help but think you are going to do amazing things in this world. If I let you drop out, I don't know I feel like I'd be depriving the world of you. You are on an amazing path here at school and if you dropped out what would you do? I see so much potential in you and to watch you squander it because of some stupid university rules? I couldn't do it. What if you were destined to be President of the United States or the International Math Lovers Club or something. I couldn't knowingly deprive the world of that. And not to mention this kid. What if he or she is destine to be this amazing person? I want to be a part of that. I want them to grow up with two parents. Me and you. With the two of us we have a better chance of raising the kid while being successful in our careers. I want that for us, and he/she. I want us to be a family in ten years even if it's a weird divorced but everyone still gets along kind of family."

Elizabeth was tearing up but her eyes were still wide as she took in all the information.

"I don't want my I love you to scare you or make you feel pressured in any way. I believe that a husband should love his wife. I believe that he should protect and support her. But most importantly I believe that they should be friends. And I have a best friend kind of love for you, so why not call you my wife. Even if it is just for a few years, I will let you determine that. So long as you let me support you and continue to be your friend and to be this kid's dad." Henry wiped away a tear from his left eye and guided his wife to sit on the bed next to him.

Elizabeth let out a smile and then a strange, laugh, cry. "I best friend love you." The words came out in a jumble and she was missing most of what she had tried to say.

Henry smiled and the pair laughed together. "I have something for you."

Elizabeth wiped away tears, "More than all that you've already given me?"

"My mom called about Thanksgiving, she wants me to visit. And I accidentally told her about you. Not about the baby or anything but I might have told her I got married. It was an accident I just called you my wife. And well she got really happy and she sent me these." Henry pulled three bands out of his pocket. "These were my grandparents."

"Henry are those wedding rings?" Elizabeth didn't know what to think or say.

Henry nodded. "We are married and in order to not get charged with fraud, we need to be married and tell people and stuff. These two where my grandmas, she always said they kept her sane because when she needed them they were always there to remind her she was loved and she was safe." He pulled out the small engagement/wedding band combo ring. It was small and silver with a small diamond embedded in it. The diamond didn't poke out like a normal engagement ring and the ring had gorgeous etchings on it that reflected the craftsmanship of another time. "This one is the commitment I made to our daughter." He pulled out the second one, it contained the same floral etchings but with small diamonds at the center of the flowers. "And this one is the commitment I made to you, to be your best friend."

Elizabeth started to cry. Her hand shook as he placed the rings on her finger one after the other. She paused and took the larger ring from his hand. "A symbol of my commitment to you. I will always be your best friend. No matter what." Her hand continued to shake as she pushed the ring on to his large ring finger.

They were quiet for a few minutes taking in the enormity of their commitment. Their vows in the courthouse had seemed to be so awkward. But these seemed to be more significant and represented a lifelong commitment of two best friends.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys, sorry this is so short! I hope to update tomorrow too! I also apologize for the corse language but I felt it was needed to relay the gravity of the situation. They've jumped into something so serious and it's really only just starting to hit Elizabeth. **

Their marriage was based on strange circumstances but it worked. It had been two weeks and they were sitting in their room finalizing paperwork for their spring semester housing when Henry looked up

They elected to stay at school for Thanksgiving break, spending the time off filling out forms for family housing and medical benefits. The paperwork also surprisingly included a name change for Elizabeth, something that had left Henry speechless. He didn't expect her to change her name. He didn't peg her to be a woman who would change her name under normal circumstances much less their weird complicated circumstances. But she had reasoned that she wanted her child to feel like they were a family, to be unified. Somehow Henry reasoned that Elizabeth felt it might erase the feeling that the child was a rape baby.

As much as she seemed okay Henry knew that she was not. She was complicated. During the day she was slightly reserved but otherwise 'normal', not that he knew what her normal was seeing as he met her after her rape. But he felt in his heart that he knew her. And at night when she became venerable she was a completely different person, she was scared, weepy, and sometimes she didn't move or speak. It was different every night. But one thing remained consistent, she was only able to recall the details of the event at night.

Thanksgiving was marked with pizza and more prep for finals. Elizabeth spent hours trying to help Henry learn more about math because Henry was dangerously close to a B in his Statistics course.

Two days before finals they got the call that the McCord Family had been assigned an apartment. Elizabeth was thrilled initially but as the duo picked up the keys from the housing office she started getting nervous about the huge change in their lives.

Elizabeth was quiet as they approached the little red door at the end of the hall marked 22. She felt slightly winded from the stairs (she blamed the baby). She as was also extremely uncomfortable with the idea of leaving the safety of her dorm room and meal plan for this apartment. It seemed large and empty and like way too much responsibility for a college student with a crazy class schedule.

There was a kitchen, she would have to cook in it. A bedroom for them and one for the baby. A baby, how the hell was she supposed to handle that when she couldn't even cook. The living-dining room combo was empty and lead to a deck lined with flower boxes. Fuck. She didn't garden. Plants always died in her care. How was she supposed to keep a child alive? And then there was the bathroom which for some reason freaked her out most of all.

She would have to clean it. And toilets used by men where always gross. Her brother could ever aim. Oh god- and she would have to buy toilet paper. Up until this point it had just appeared in her communal bathroom in her dorms, here and boarding school. What if she forgot to buy it? She'd find herself wiping with takeout napkins. Except she had a kitchen to cook in, so there wasn't going to be takeout napkins.

She was spiraling.

And before she knew it she was on the floor in a ball sobbing.

Henry was surprised and scared. It was daylight. This didn't happen when she was awake. She was always so in control. What the fuck was he supposed to do now?

~~MS~~

Everything was black and when colors started reappearing all she could hear was her own heartbeat. She could see Henry calling to her. Feel him checking her pulse but she couldn't hear him. Then her ears started ringing. Finally, the ringing faded and she could hear his voice. "What are we going to do?"

Henry sat down on the floor to get on her level. "What do you mean?"

Elizabeth let out a sob, "Everything. This place is empty. We have nothing. We don't even have toilet paper. I've never bought it. How do I know what kind to buy?"

Henry looked at her with a strange expression on his face. "We will figure this out. I'm sure we could steel some paper from the dorms until we do. Or I can ask my mom."

She looked at him and let out a short laugh through her tears.

Henry smiled and continued, "I don't know what we are going to do either. But we are going to make a list. Because I know how much you like lists. And we can talk to my mom about furniture. She has been storing all of my grandmother's old furniture for us kids in the basement. We can probably get a few odds and ends. It will all be alright. Let's just check one thing off the list at a time."

Elizabeth looked around, "I don't know how to cook."

Henry nodded, "me either. We can get some books on it. If all else fails, there is always takeout."

Elizabeth smiled, "You are my best friend."

Henry laughed, "Only because I feed you!"

Elizabeth's eyes glittered, "And because you bring me library books."

Everything was alright momentarily. They returned to Elizabeth's room and created a list. And when they went to bed everything seemed resolved.

Henry should have known it would be a bad night. But when she woke up screaming his heart broke. She was absolutely not ok. And he had no idea how to help her.


	5. Chapter 5

During Finals week Henry called his mother to ask about furniture and Anna asked if she could speak to Elizabeth. Henry hesitated and asked Elizabeth if she wanted to speak with his mother.

Nervously Elizabeth took the corded phone from him and said hello.

An hour later she hung up with a huge smile on her face. "I love your mom!"

Henry smiled, "Everyone does. The kids I grew up with on my street to all called her Momma McCord."

Elizabeth smiled and touched her stomach hoping one day she could be like that. "She is bringing us a trailer full of stuff from your basement. She and your brother will be here Saturday to help us move."

Henry nodded, "Shane."

Elizabeth's brow furrowed, "Yeah. But she invited us to Christmas because we missed thanksgiving and I said yes. I'm sorry I should have talked to you first but I haven't really had a Christmas in years.

Henry smiled, "I would love to go! Just don't say I didn't warn you about my sister. She's kind of judgmental."

Elizabeth smiled, "I've never had a sister but I am pretty sure they are supposed to drive you crazy."

"Maureen will make you more than crazy. But Erin is great! She's a lot like my mom."

~~MS~~

Saturday arrived with a flurry of activity packing Elizabeth's dorm and putting her stuff in the car to join Henrys 5 boxes of stuff from his dorm. Henry reminded her for the 5th time not to carry anything to heavy before they parted ways and drove their cars to the new apartment. A white trailer was already in the parking lot and Elizabeth felt like barfing. She wasn't sure if it was the baby or nerves.

Henry parked his car first and went and open Elizabeth's door. "My mom and Shane are here. Come meet them!" He put his hand on her shoulder as they walked towards the trailer.

Elizabeth was moving slowly and no matter how hard she tried to move her feet faster they wouldn't. A tall brunette woman appeared from inside the taller and rushed toward them. She hugged Henry first and then turned to Elizabeth. Elizabeth went to shake her hand and was shocked when Anne pulled her into a hug.

"Elizabeth hi!" The woman pulled away. "I'm Anne McCord. I am so happy to meet you."

Elizabeth smiled but tears filled her eyes. It had been so long since a woman hugged her with that much love. Like a mother. "Nice to meet you too. Thank you for doing this!"

Anne's face lit up and she took Elizabeth's arm and led her towards the trailer. "I am absolutely thrilled to have a daughter in-law. I've never had one before and I know I missed the wedding but I want to be here however I can for you guys. Plus, I am absolutely thrilled to have this stuff out of the basement."

Elizabeth chuckled and looked around the trailer. It was full of old furniture. And a few boxes. Elizabeth moved to pick up a box but Henry stopped her.

He took her arm gently. "Can you and my mom go to the store and get the stuff on our list while Shane and I move the big furniture?"

Elizabeth looked confused but nodded. "Sure. Do you have the list?"

Henry smiled and pulled it out of his pocket. "Yep!"

Two hours later Anne and Elizabeth had bonded over grocery store slushies and popcorn and returned with a few odds and ends, bedsheets, lamps, pillows, a rug, and a few food items like milk and cereal. Anne filled a laundry basket with most of the stuff and Elizabeth grabbed the pillows and sheets and the two drug their loot up the stairs.

She was feeling much better about everything. Anne had out of the blue asked how far along she was. Elizabeth had been surprised and mortified. But Anne had explained that Henry never just said Elizabeth and I but used the term family and they when he was talking about his marriage. She also explained that she knew her son, her catholic son, and that he would never get married during such a critical time in his education without good reason. Her suspicions had been confirmed when Elizabeth cradled her belly with her hand in the car.

Elizabeth had frozen when Anne asked how far along she was but somehow a response came from her mouth. And after Anne explained how she knew, Elizabeth felt guilty, she felt that she needed to know why Henry had married her. And so tearfully in the store parking lot Elizabeth McCord told an almost complete stranger about the rape. About the baby. And Anne gave her a hug and told her she loved her. And that she loved her grandbaby.

Elizabeth had never felt so loved or accepted. But when she opened the door to her new apartment the love and acceptance hit her again. There was furniture and decorations. It looked like a 90year old resided there but it felt amazing. She had Henry's Maternal Grandmother's wedding ring, and his paternal father's furniture. She had a home with the McCord Family. She had a family.

~~MS~~

The four went out for dinner and when Anne and Shane drove away that night she looked back at her son through the window. Henry was truly amazing. And she knew the moment she saw him with Elizabeth that he loved her. He loved her more than Elizabeth loved him. More than Elizabeth was currently capable of loving him. And she hoped and prayed that that Elizabeth could fall for him. Because her son deserved love, not the love of a best friend the way Anne's husband Patrick loved her but love, love. True Love.


	6. Chapter 6

The pair stood in the dark parking lot watching Shane and Anne drive away as the taillights disappeared around the corner. Elizabeth looked around and suddenly realized how dark it was outside. She was suddenly very uncomfortable. "Can we go inside?" She reached for his arm nervously.

Henry was surprised by her touch but he understood why and allowed her to link her fingers with his. His heart skipped a beat and he wondered for a split second if this whole thing would destroy him. He loved her. "How about we go inside and finish unpacking?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Your family is amazing. I am really looking forward to Christmas."

Henry chuckled as he and Elizabeth made their way upstairs. "Well my mom is. But my dad and sister are going to be another story."

Elizabeth nodded. "I told her about the baby. Well actually she knew. But I told her the truth." She paused, "About the father. I didn't want her to be angry with you. She was just so accepting and wonderful. She reminds me of my mom mixed with my grandmother."

Henry smiled slightly, "She is wonderful. But Elizabeth you need to be prepared at Christmas. My dad is judgmental and my oldest sister is just awful to people."

They entered the apartment and Elizabeth stopped to take everything in. The kitchen had several boxes on the counter. The dining table had a set of place mats and some kind of fake floral arrangement in the center. The living room contained a couch a coffee table and a old tv that sat on the floor. She walked down the hall and stepped into the bedroom. A huge king bed sat in the middle leaving little room for the dresser sat in the middle. The walking path was small around the bed but the inate carvings reminded Elizabeth that this bed set was not intended for a small college apartment.

She moved to the second bedroom where a twin bed and dresser sat. Henry had already placed some of his boxes on the dresser so she supposed she would have the other room with the oversized bed. The idea of being alone in a bedroom suddenly scared her. She hadn't been alone in so long and it scared her.

~~MS~~

A week later Henry glanced at Elizabeth as she exited the gas station snacks in hand. At 16 weeks her bump was showing more than she would like and her eyes implied she hadn't slept well in days. He was a bit worried about her. She would cry out in the middle of the night for help but her door to the bedroom was also locked so he couldn't help her. Ever since the move she had lost nearly all of her spark. She was now sullen all day and barely left their apartment. He had tried to cheer her up, bringing home a Christmas tree and some ornaments from the dollar store to try and bring some holiday spirit home. But it did very little.

Today's ultrasound hadn't helped at all. The baby was a boy and Elizabeth seemed dismayed by that but Henry was unable to figure out why.

The gas pump beeped and startled him out of his thoughts. He finished up and returned to the warmth of the car. "Ready to go home?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yea."

Henry turned on the car and pulled out onto the road. It was quiet for a few minutes before he couldn't stand it anymore. "Are you ok? I thought finding out the gender would make you happy. We can plan for him now."

Elizabeth looked at him. "I don't want him." She let out a sob and covered her mouth with her hand.

Henry looked around franticly for a place to pull off. He spotted an office building and pulled into the parking lot without even bothering to use his blinker. "What? What do you mean? It's to late to. To end it."

Elizabeth looked at him her blue eyes filled with tears, "I never expected it to be a boy. What if he turns out like his dad?"

Henry nodded in understanding but felt hurt, "Like his biological dad?"

Elizabeth nodded furiously, "What if I raise a son and he does this to some other girl." She pointed to her stomach. "I don't even remember half of what that man did to me. Sometimes I have dreams but I never know what's real and what's not. I think I might be making things up but other times I think how could my mind make up something so awful. I mean how can a girl not remember her own…" She stopped unable to say the word.

"You had been drugged. It's not your fault." He took her hand, "We will raise a young man that respects women." He looked away for a moment. "There's always adoption too. I know you didn't like the idea at first but it is always an option."

Elizabeth sighed, "I don't want some stranger to raise my kid. I just didn't imagine having a kid in college with some guy."

Henry dropped her hand and looked away trying to keep tears from coming to his eyes.

Elizabeth knew instantly that she shouldn't have said that. "Henry I don't mean you. I am so grateful for everything you've done. I am just so angry. I lost my virginity to some guy I don't remember meeting. To a guy who thought it was ok to drug me and do what he wanted. How do I tell my kid that?"

Henry looked at her. "I married you. I married you so you wouldn't have to tell your kid that. So he never asks about his dad. Even if we didn't stay married the kid would have a dad and it wouldn't be some rapist it would be me. Stop calling it your kid. It's mine too now. I gave up everything for you and this kid, this little boy. And I absolutely don't regret it but we need to be a team if this is going to work. I don't know that this solution was the best one, in fact if you asked any sort of therapist or councilor they'd probably strongly advise other options. But you are amazing and you are going to do amazing things and I want to be there for it."

Elizabeth nodded, "I love you."

Henry's heart leaped into his chest. He loved her too.

But before he could say anything she continued, "You are my best friend and I can't thank you enough for everything. We are going to be a strange little family, but I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else." She paused and pulled the sonogram photo out of her purse. "We are having a boy." And for the first time in a long time she smiled.

~~MS~~

That night as she got ready for bed she stopped in Henry's room. She found him reading and when his brown eyes met hers she felt her heart jump a bit. "So, I was honest with you today and it felt really good." She paused and sat down on the bed next to him. "I thought about it and I think I need to be more open, to talk about everything a bit more. I considered a therapist but I had one when my parents died and she didn't help me at all. She made it all worse actually. So I was wondering if perhaps we could talk more?"

Henry looked at her, "Tonight?"

Elizabeth shook her head, "No just in general. I just have a hard time admitting that I need to talk and sometimes I chicken out just before I say what I need to."

Henry smiled, "Alright but only if I can do the same with you." He watched her smile, "So how's this. Anytime one of us needs to have an honest conversation we say a code word and then we can't chicken out."

Elizabeth grinned, "Only if the code word can be Butterscotch."

Henry looked at her confused.

She laughed, "I've been trying to find a way to tell you this but I didn't know how. But in the interest of honesty here it is. The bedside table from your grandmother is full of melted butterscotch candies and condoms, I mean full. They are all stuck together. I was going to clean it but everyone I went to pull out the drawer I started thinking about why the two might be in the same drawer and I just couldn't do it. I had to show you first but I couldn't figure out how."

Henry looked at her, he wanted to laugh, but at the same time the idea of what his grandparents had used the drawer for made him feel a bit light headed. "I- I-"

Elizabeth laughed again, "Come see!" She grabbed his arm and drug him down the hall despite his protests, "If I saw it you need to too." She said.

After confirming that there was a sticky candy/condom drawer Elizabeth and Henry looked at the bed. "This is their sex bed." Henry whispered.

"I know the sheets are new but this really isn't helping me. I have had trouble sleeping since we moved and that's clearly why."

Henry nodded, "But if you think about it its actually really sweet. They had been married for 60 years. And this just shows they really loved each other."

Elizabeth smiled and sat down on the bed. "Get in. If I am going to sleep in this bed I need to know everything about them."

Henry smiled and climbed in next to her scooting the pillows around until he was propped up against the headboard. "Alright. Well for starters my grandparents knew one another their whole lives."

Henry dosed off sometime shortly after telling Elizabeth about his grandparent's wedding. Elizabeth dosed off too shortly after. And for the first time she slept through the night. And it was likely because she was dreaming of Henry McCord.


	7. Chapter 7

**I am blown away by the responses I have been getting! **Thank** you and keep them coming! **

As the couple drove up to Henry's childhood home Elizabeth suddenly felt very apprehensive. They had been doing much better together, they hadn't slept apart since the butterscotch incident. The king-sized bed had worked well leaving each of them their own space but ensuring that Elizabeth was not alone. She still wasn't totally ok with the idea of having a baby she had mostly avoided the subject but it was going to be broached with Henry's Family. There was no way it wouldn't. She was showing. Even in her oversized Goodwill Christmas sweater, she had a bump.

Henry opened her door and helped her out of the car. He looked at her nervous face, "Ready?"

Elizabeth laughed nervously. "Yes."

"Butterscotch." Henry looked at her asking for her honesty."

"No. But I haven't spent Christmas with other people in a long time."

Henry froze, "Really?"

"It was to far to come home from boarding school and the one time I did go home it was just depressing. Then once I got to UVA Will was gone and there was no point in going home."

Henry nodded, "Well I'd consider our Christmases more unpredictable and derisory."

Elizabeth smiled, "Nice word. We should Scrabble sometime."

"I will slay you at Scrabble." Henry quipped smiling as she took his hand and started to walk up the step.

"Dream on. I have never been beaten." Elizabeth laughed.

Henry smiled at her musical laugh and opened the door to his home.

~~~MS~~~

Four hours later the pair escaped upstairs to change for Midnight Mass. As Elizabeth set her bag down and turned to Henry she let out a sigh. "Henry your sister knows."

"Knows what?" Henry turned around to see Elizabeth's dismayed face.

"About the baby. She was staring at my stomach all through dinner. And she was snarky."

Henry moved closer to her so he could put his hand on her arm, "She is always like that. Why don't we just tell everyone and then she can just stop looking at you weird. My mom already knows, and it would be nice to get to celebrate with my family in person rather than call them over the phone."

Elizabeth nodded, "Celebrate? Do you really think they will Celebrate? Your family seems pretty Catholic, we rushed to get married, its obvious this baby was conceived out of wedlock. Even if they don't know why we did what we did they don't seem like they would be thrilled to throw my baby shower."

"Lizabeth this baby is going to be loved. They may not like the how or when but this boy will be a McCord and they will love him. They will love you too. My Mom and Erin and Shane already do. Maureen and my dad will come around. Besides as devout Catholics, life is a blessing always. They can't fault us for anything because we are married now so whatever we might have done, or what they think we did, is invalidated." He pulled her into a hug.

She looked up at him and smiled. "You are going to be a great father." She kissed him on the cheek causing him to blush. "Let's change and go down and tell your family before mass.

Ten minutes later Elizabeth emerged from the room dressed up in a green dress with gold trim. She held a coat and purse in one hand over her arm which covered up her belly and looked at Henry with apprehension. "Ready?"

Henry looked at her. "I really am."

The pair walked downstairs and found the rest of the family gathered in the living room. Anne was fussing over Shane's tie and Patrick and Erin where finishing up a checker's game. Maureen looked at them expectantly. "You guys ready?"

Henry suddenly felt nervous. "Yeah, but before we leave I want, well Elizabeth and I want to tell you something." He paused and looked over at Elizabeth who reached out and took his hand to comfort him. In that moment the world seemed to stop turning. She was looking at him with her blue eyes and she was stunning. Her skin felt warm and comforting and he was thrilled that she was trying to offer him support. He was just simply thrilled that she was touching him.

The words tumbled out of his mouth, "We are expecting a baby. A boy." It was the first time that he had said it out loud to anyone but Elizabeth. It felt wonderful to say and he was suddenly overcome with emotion. He found warm arms wrapping themselves around his waist and for a moment he thought it was his mother or sister but he knew it was Elizabeth. He looked down at her to see her smiling as Erin shouted that she would finally be an aunt.

Elizabeth let go of Henry to hug Erin whose reaction had melted her heart. She forgot about the circumstances surrounding the baby. In that moment she was just happy to have a family. Even Patrick hugged her. The prospect of McCord grandson thrilled him. Maureen hugged her brother but couldn't resist making a comment about her brother's inability to keep it in his pants. She was the oldest and she had always thought this would be her moment before it was anyone else's. But here she was with no boyfriend still living in her parent's house working as a secretary. There was a man, Tom Ryan but he had yet to ask her out. Despite her bitterness she was happy to have a nephew to spoil as children where always a wonderful blessing to a family. She didn't have to like Henry or Elizabeth's choices, or Elizabeth for that matter but it wouldn't stop her from loving the little boy who would call her Aunt Maureen.

Elizabeth excused herself from the fanfare downstairs to fix her mascara for despite her efforts, tears of joy had fallen when Patrick hugged her. Henry followed her upstairs and he grabbed her arm. "You ok?"

"Yeah." She whispered wiping away tears.

"Butterscotch." Henry said knowing her face and lips said two different things.

"Those people down there, most of them just met me. And they are hugging me and crying like they do. Like it's their grandson. But it's not. I'm lying to them."

Henry pulled out his wallet and handed her the sonogram photo from their last appointment. "flip it over."

On the back in his neat handwriting was:

Father- a man who gives care and protection; assigned paternity or responsibility for a child

Father- Henry Patrick McCord

"That's from the dictionary. I wanted to always remind myself that its not about genetics. It's about who is there for the birth, first steps, first words, baseball games, graduation, wedding. And I promise you I will be there for all of it. This will be my kid as much as it is yours. He will come out of the womb and cry but when I hold him, he'll stop. Because he will be safe and loved by us. He will be a McCord. Let my family be happy. Let this baby come into a family full of joy. Let him be wanted."

Elizabeth covered her mouth with her hand for a moment before removing it. Her brain was in overdrive coming up with responses. But the one that escaped wasn't planned. "I think I love you."

Those two words froze the pair and they were silent. Just as Henry went to say something Erin appeared. "Come on guys. Time for mass."

With one last glance at the other the pair diligently followed Erin down the stairs.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi guys, I have gotten a lot of comments on Henry's family being so great. I know it seems a bit strange. But while Henry doesn't always agree with them I believe they raised him and that's why he turned out great. I also believe that Henry's dad would be supportive because if you think about it he has been said to give the coat off his back to a stranger so what Henry has done is absolutely a "McCord thing". Also since this story is characterizing something awful I didn't want everyone to be so unsupportive of their choices because in the end they are doing something wonderful to bring a life into the world. She isn't coming into the McCord house a girl with a trust fund and fancy car, she is a bit broken and confused and in what could be considered a marriage of convenience. It's a whole confusing mess of feelings which makes it fun to write. I just don't like writing the McCords as awful people when it seems like in the end family is so important. I want to focus on Henry and Elizabeth and let everyone else support them. At least for now *Wink***

**Thanks for all the reviews! You all rock!**

She was all he could think about during mass. Her hand in his hand as they walked back to the car. When they got back to the house Elizabeth was already asleep in the car. Henry looked at her soft sleepy features. She was asleep in the backseat with him while Anne and Patrick were navigating their way through the dark streets.

Anne patted Henry's arm from her seat and smiled. "Growing our grandchild is a lot of work."

Henry smiled; he was so thankful for his mother. The woman was full of grace and had a heart of gold. She was the only one who knew the truth about the baby and God love her; she was still as supportive and loving as ever.

They pulled up to the house, and the trio got out quietly. Henry rounded to the passenger's side and opened Elizabeth's door. "Lizabeth. It's time to go inside."

Elizabeth mumbled an okay, but her eyes remained shut.

Henry smiled, "I am going to pick you up and carry you to bed so you can keep sleeping. Is that okay?"

Elizabeth mumbled her consent and Henry unbuckled her and picked her up. He inhaled her perfume and smiled as she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. Anne and Patrick held open the doors to the house as Henry passed through and he looked back at his parents with a smile before he carried her up the stairs.

"Want me to get the bedroom door for you Henry?" Patrick asked.

"Yea that would be great!" Henry and Patrick climbed up the stairs and Henry waited while his dad opened the door. Patrick pulled the covers back on the bed for him and Henry placed Elizabeth down and covered her up. He kissed her forehead and followed his dad out shutting the door quietly behind him.

"Want a beer?"

Henry was surprised. His dad had never offered him any sort of bonding before. "Sure. That would be great!"

A few minutes later the pair where seated in the garage in front of the wood stove that helped heat the house in the winter. Patrick looked over at his son, "We don't often see eye to eye. But I'm proud of you."

Henry looked at his father in surprise. "Wh?" He stuttered.

"You know your mom and I don't have any secrets right?"

Henry nodded, "Yea, I've always admired that about your relationship. We could never get anything past you guys as kids."

Patrick smiled slightly, "I'm sure you still managed. But my point is that your mom tells me everything and I do the same with her. She told me about Elizabeth. And what you've done for her. And I want you to know that I support you. That I am proud of you."

"Dad." He was speechless.

"I don't respect all of your choices but this one. Elizabeth. I think you did something amazing. But I don't want you to get hurt. So I am going to warn you to be careful."

Henry nodded, "I know. But I love her."

Patrick nodded, "I can see that. But please just be careful. There is going to be a kid involved."

It warmed Henry's heart to bond with his father. He had desperately wanted to return to Elizabeth and possibly address what she had said earlier, but after this moment with his father, he stayed for another beer.

~~MS~~

The next morning Elizabeth awoke to the sun on her face. She realized quickly that she was still dressed. She had slept better than she had in months and on the floor next to her bed lay Henry sound asleep. She thought back to the events of the previous day and what she had said to him.

Did she love him? Or was it some sort of attachment that had formed. How could she know? Her life was intertwined with his now and it was hard to discern her feelings. She loved him like a best friend. That was clear but the way she had felt in that moment wasn't the same. She couldn't put her finger on what it was.

She was startled from her thoughts by the sound of feet running down the stairs. She roused herself out of bed and took her bag across the hall to the bathroom. After a good shower and clean clothes, she felt like a new woman. She was clad in a green sweater that was long enough to be considered a dress. At one point she had belted it, but now with her growing belly, she let it hang off her body and cover her in warmth. She also had a pair of black tights/leggings to cover her legs and a pair of fuzzy cream socks. She braided her long hair into a side French braid that cascaded down her shoulder. Returning her bag to the bedroom, she snuck downstairs in search of food.

She had smelled something wonderful and as she closed in on the kitchen she found Anne setting out a variety of breakfast foods. "Can I help?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

Anne turned around and smiled. "You can eat. I am just finishing setting everything out. We do a free for all brunch type thing on Christmas day. Once everyone is up, we will do presents, but until then we all just watch Christmas movies."

Elizabeth smiled, the prospect of Christmas movies and presents had been foreign to her for years, and the idea of celebrating with a family seemed wonderful. "I can eat."

"Grab a plate. I'll join you." And with that Anne and Elizabeth loaded up their plates and curled up on the couch with blankets. Maureen and Patrick who had been nursing coffees left and returned with food as well.

Hours later Henry and Erin had joined them and presents had been distributed. Elizabeth was particularly touched by the new stationary set that Patrick and Anne had gotten for her. She and Henry eventually made their way upstairs where they could do their exchange in private. Henry handed her a package and Elizabeth knew instantly that it was a book. She opened it to find a children's book.

But it wasn't just any book. It was her favorite book. _Misty of Chincoteague_ by Marguerite Henry. She had a tattered copy on their bookcase at home. This one was similarly used and briefly, she was confused. He knew it was her favorite. Why would he give her a book she already had?

"Open to the first page." He said.

She obliged and gasped. It was autographed by the author herself. "Henry."

Henry smiled, "This actually is just a symbol of the actual gift. The book is based off actual events. I booked us a room at an Inn on Chincoteague Island the weekend of the Wild Horse round up. It's not far but I thought it would be a great first family vacation. The baby will be a few months old and its right before school starts back."

Elizabeth lit up. "That sounds wonderful!" She felt nervous to give him her gift. It seemed less compared to Henry's thoughtful gift.

It was a shirt with a Thomas Aquinas quote on it and he was thrilled.

There was silence for a moment, both thinking about what had been said the previous day. Henry finally got brave. "Elizabeth, what did you mean yesterday? Before mass?"

Elizabeth shifted her weight to sit more comfortably on the bed. "I honestly don't know."

Henry looked at her with confusion.

"We are married and all this stuff and I am having all these feelings. I just can't tell if the feelings are about you or what you've done. I love you like a best friend you know that. But these feelings are different. I honestly don't that I have the words to describe them." Elizabeth said.

Henry nodded, "I can understand that. We defiantly have done things in a different order. Why don't we try dating?"

Elizabeth laughed, "How would that work? We live together. We are married."

Henry shrugged, "We can use our imagination."

She laughed and it sounded like music to Henry. "Ok. How's Thursday night at 6? Dinner?"

Henry smiled, "It's a date! I'll pick you up at 6."

Elizabeth's heart lept, "It's a date!" She whispered.

**Thanks for reading. If you haven't heard of Misty look it up! It's the favorate of every horse kid, I figured Elizabeth would have been all over it as a child growing up on a farm. Plus the movie came out around what I would assume was her childhood. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks for all the reviews! Sorry, this is so short but I wanted to transition to the next stage of this story which will be a lot of Elizabeth angst. I want to explore her and Will's relationship as well as her feelings of inadequacy as a mother, wife, sister, ect. This is very common after an experience like hers. **

**Thanks again for all the input! It absolutely inspires me! **

Elizabeth was surprised to find herself sad as they pulled away from Henry's childhood home. In the few days she spent there she had become attached to everyone, even Maureen. The family dinners, the bickering, everything was so incredibly wonderful.

She was startled from her thoughts by a strange feeling in her stomach. She gasped and brought her hand to rest on her growing belly. Henry looked over with concern, "What's wrong?"

Elizabeth smiled, "I felt something. I think the baby kicked or moved or something. It was like butterflies or something." She paused and laughed, "Henry there's a real human inside me. Can you believe that?"

Henry's face lit up, "Wow. Can I feel?" He put his hand on her stomach but was disappointed when he couldn't feel anything.

Elizabeth sensed his disappointment but at the beginning of her second trimester she wasn't suprised, "It feels more internal. I don't think you can feel him yet. But you will be able to soon enough. I imagine our son will be incredibly active."

Henry grinned, "Our son. I love that!" He looked over at her and was thrilled to see that she was smiling. "Do you have any ideas for names?"

Elizabeth frowned, "No. It hasn't seemed real. I mean it does now but before Christmas it didn't." Elizabeth thought for a moment. "I'd like to name him for my parents."

"I don't think I have ever asked what their names where?"

"Benjamin and Suzanne but I was thinking of the name Adam. I gave up my last name so we could be a family but I want to include my parents in this family even if they aren't here."

"Adam." Henry whispered smiling. "I love it!"

"I want you to pick his middle name. You're his dad."

Henry looked at her in surprise, "Really?"

Elizabeth nodded, "He's your son too."

Henry was thrilled with her acknowledgement of his role. "Patrick." The name came out before he even realized it. "Wow. I didn't even realize that was what I was thinking. It just came out. I had a really nice moment with my dad the other night. He knows about the baby, the truth, and he was so accepting. He seemed so proud. I don't know why I think that, but this baby is what's going to bring my dad and I to new more respectful point in our relationship."

Elizabeth smiled, "That's wonderful. I think Patrick is the perfect middle name. It's yours as well. Adam Patrick McCord." She rested her hand on her stomach. "It sounds strange to be naming this bump in my stomach. Strange that it will be a human but it's also somehow perfect."

~~MS~~

They arrived home at well past midnight and found a letter from Will forwarded from Elizabeth's dorm room in the mail along with bills. The letter wished her a happy holidays but nothing more. For a moment she was sad. Not even a phone call. But then she remembered she was equality responsible. She hadn't called. She hadn't even sent a card. Normally she did. But she'd been busy. She'd forgotten her brother.

She was older. She failed him as a sister. She picked up the phone and diled his number. "Will?"

Will sounded tired and his voice was muffled. "Lizzie?"

"Where you sleeping?"

"No. No. I'm studying for the MCATs. What are you doing up it's late?"

Elizabeth sighed. "I just got home. I got your letter and had to call you right away. I've been a terrible sister. I owe you a card or a care package or something."

Will laughed, "Please don't cook. Those cookies you sent last year where inedible."

Elizabeth laughed at the thought. "Fine I owe you a gift card or something then."

"I won't say no to that." He paused, "I sent that letter weeks ago. How are you just now getting it?"

Elizsabeth paused, "Will, I moved. To an apartment. With my husband."

Will coughed and sputterd a "What?"

Elizabeth's heart twisted. She was so bad at this. "I'm pregnant. And the only way to keep my scholarship and the baby was to get married. So I married my best friend a few weeks ago and we just moved. I haven't had a chance to send you my new address. We went to Henry's parents for Christmas and before that we had to move out of our dorms and deal with finals."

"Lizzie. I don't know what to say." Will paused. He wasn't even sure what he was feeling.

"I'm sorry Will." Elizabeth let out a quiet sob, "I've been a terrible sister. I'm going to try to do better. I want you to be in my life, our lives." She rubbed her belly. "You are going to be an uncul. And I need you to help me tell him stories about mom and dad. I hate that he will never know his grandparents. I promise you Will, I am going to be a better sister from now on. I love you so much." She wiped away tears.

"What's your address?" Will demanded. She told him and he wrote it down. "I'm leaving now. I am coming to see you." And with that he hung up.

She hung up the wall phone and turned to Henry. "My brother is coming. Now."

Henry looked at the panic in her eyes. "OK no worries. Let's unpack and get some rest. His school is hours away he won't be here till morning."

Elizabeth nodded and spoke to him quietly. "Henry? Can you unpack your things in my room? I don't want to sleep alone again."

Henry's heart broke for her. "Absolutely."

Elizabeth thought briefly of her date with Henry. It was supposed to be tomorrow. But she could only assume that that was no more.

What had started out as a good day had quickly been shot to hell. How had she made such a blunder?


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for all the reviews, everyone! This is chapter is dedicated to NYElizabeth who has left me such wonderful reviews on nearly every chapter I've ever written! **

There are a bunch of other people I want to shout out to for their kind reviews and with how long this story is** gonna be (I'm guessing 60 chapters +) I promise I will get to you all! **

Elizabeth lie in bed that night unable to sleep. She finally arose from bed and went to the living room with hopes of finding a book or something to distract her. Only moments later Henry emerged as well. "Elizabeth? Everything alright?"

Elizabeth looked up. "I'm going to be a terrible mother. I can't even be a good older sister." She wiped away tears.

Henry sat down next to her. "That's not true. Your relationship with your brother is complicated. A baby is totally different. Look at my family. I'm not always the best brother, especially when it comes to Maureen. But it's different to be raised with someone than to raise someone." Henry took her hand, "You will be a great mother. You already are one."

Elizabeth sighed, "Thank you Henry."

Henry smiled, "Anytime. Now you owe me a scrabble game so if we aren't gonna sleep can I kick your butt with my triple word score skills?"

Elizabeth laughed, "Sure! But prepare to lose."

He did lose. But it was the most fun he'd ever had losing. Her laugh every time he challenged her word and lost was musical.

"I'm sad my brother is going to make us postpone our date." Elizabeth said as she and Henry cleaned up their game.

Henry nodded, "I agree. But we don't have to postpone. Just make some changes to the plan."

"What was the plan?" Elizabeth asked. Was she flirting? She wasn't sure…

"I was going to take you to a nice dinner and then perhaps a movie or something. But if you wanted to go for coffee now I wouldn't oppose the thought."

"Now?" Elizabeth looked at the clock. "Its 4:30 in the morning. Nothing is open!"

Henry laughed, "The McCord house of Pancakes serves coffee 24 hours a day."

Elizabeth's eyes glittered, "If you take me there I'll expect pancakes too."

Henry dashed across the room to the kitchen and grabbed his apron. "I'll pick you up in a half hour."

Elizabeth laughed, "What do you mean pick me up?"

"From your bedroom. Like a gentleman."

Elizabeth laughed, "Henry you have got to be kidding."

"I never kid about pancakes. Now scoot. I got to get out my secret ingredients."

A half hour later Henry stood at the bedroom door and knocked. When Elizabeth opened it he was blown away by her appearance. She had on a dress and makeup rather than the pj's she had previously worn. Her eyes sparkled. Henry handed her a vase of fake flowers that had sat in the living room. "These are the only flowers I could get on short notice."

Elizabeth smiled, "Well the good thing is that I can't kill these."

Henry smiled and offered her his arm. She took it and they made their way to the dining room where piles of pancakes sat.

After their 'date' Henry walked Elizabeth back to her room. "I hope everything was good."

Elizabeth smiled, "Yes it was amazing. Especially those chocolate chip pancakes. I hope you left the chef a good tip." She teased.

Henry smiled, "He works for free. Just want's the chance to make a beautiful woman happy."

Elizabeth smiled and boldly looked at him. She wanted to kiss him. "I have a tip for the chef."

Henry looked at her confused. "What?"

"Close your eyes." She demanded. She then moved forward onto her tiptoes to place a kiss on his lips.

Henry opened his eyes startled, "Wow." He whispered.

She leaned forward again and this time Henry met her lips with his. Electricity ran through both their bodies. The kiss was sweet and tender but also filled with passion. Elizabeth stepped back before anything got too heated. "We need to go on more dates." She whispered.

Henry nodded in agreement. He was unable to find words. He knew that Elizabeth had stolen his heart but now she'd stolen his vocabulary too.

~~MS~~

"So Henry, tell me, what's your major?" Will asked, glaring at his new brother in law.

"I'm in a BS Masters combo program for Religious Studies and minoring Military Strategy. I'm getting my bachelors and masters in 5 years. I'm in my 4th year so I just have my dissertation and stuff next year and I'll graduate at the same time as Elizabeth." Henry said referring to Elizabeth's Mathematics and Middle Eastern Conflict degrees that she would obtain the following May.

Will looked at Henry, "What are your plans after graduation?"

Henry looked Elizabeth's brother right in the eye, "I am in ROTC so I can graduate without debt. I'll be in the Marines for 6 years' active duty and 4 years as a reservist."

"Six Years?" His eyes widened as he tried to picture his sister as a military wife.

Henry saw the look in Will's eyes and the slight panic in Elizabeth's face. "It's going to be difficult. But I hope to be stationed on the East Coast so I can drive to see Elizabeth and our son in DC on my days off."

Elizabeth looked up startled, they hadn't discussed this plan. They had discussed her hopes of being an analyst. She had spent her summer between sophomore and junior year as an intern at the CIA and had fallen in love with it. But it was all she could ask to just finish her degree the idea of getting to pursue her dream job at this point was insane. But Henry had planned it all in his head. She could have cried right then and there. She was pretty sure she loved him right then.

She and Will spent two days hanging out and when he left he kissed her cheek and whispered his approval. He shook Henry's hand and asked him to take care of Elizabeth, then he climbed in his car and started the drive back before the snow hit.

~~MS~~

Henry and Elizabeth watched the car drive away and Elizabeth wrapped herself in her coat and looked at Henry. "So. You made plans for us after college?"

Henry blushed, "Kinda. It was just an idea, something to appease your brother. We can talk about it more. I don't even know where I will be stationed. I'll likely train in Cherry Point North Carolina and if they like me I think I could get stationed there. They have a few amazing squadrons. Havlock, NC is a 5-hour drive to DC. We are two hours from DC here at UVA. And it's still like a 5-hour drive from Havlock to here. I don't see why we couldn't figure something out. I'll make good money when I go active we can get a nanny or find an apartment half way and meet up on the weekends. We are still a year away from having to think about this." He looked at her and suddenly felt worried, he couldn't read her. "Butterscotch?"

Elizabeth looked at him, "I'm so confused." She blurted out. "I think I love you but it's so confusing. There's so much going on in my head you are my best friend, but you are also doing so much for me and I just don't know what I love. Is it you as a person? Or what you are doing? I just don't know what my feelings are."

Henry nodded, "I can see how that can be confusing. I'll admit I have conflicting feelings sometimes but I've known for months, before the baby was known about, that I loved you. I love the way you bite your nails and the fact that you have the Chinese takeout menu memorized. I love how kind you are and how strong and independent you are. I love how much you love the library. And you are absolutely stunning, you have the most wonderful and warm eyes. When you look at me my knees get week. But the thing I love most is that you are my best friend. So if you just love me as a friend I'll be happy because I'll take anything."

She teared up. She didn't know what to say. But in that moment she found her body moving towards him. She was kissing him before she even realized what was happening and in that moment she knew she loved him to. She loved him in a way she never thought possible. Not just like a best friend but like a husband. She adored him. She was in love with Henry McCord. When she stopped kissing him and whispered: "I Love You the way you love me."

Henry's heart leaped and he picked her up and kissed her. His world was complete because Elizabeth McCord loved him.

**We still have a long way to go friends! Thanks for all the support! I'd appreciate any ideas you have as I move into the baby part and H+E raising kid. I am not a kid person so don't know much about how hard it is to be a first-time parent with school on top of everything. **

**For those asking: I am gonna cover sex and their first time but it likely won't happen until after the baby is born because E has a lot of issues to work on that she is just pushing down. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks for all the reviews! Can't believe this story is at 50!**

**This chapter is dedicated to lil'mousie323! Thanks for all the love and support!**

The New Year was filled with kisses as Elizabeth and Henry discovered their feelings for one another. They drew lines and formed safe words for Elizabeth's security.

They settled into a routine during spring semester but by spring break Elizabeth was worn thin. She spent much of the week in bed fighting a cold, only rousing herself the final three days to journey with Henry to his home for a baby shower thrown by Anne.

Elizabeth was touched by the gifts the room of (mostly) strangers gave her. They returned home and Sunday night Henry set up the nursery while Elizabeth supervised from a rocking chair made by Patrick when Henry was born.

The following weeks passed quickly and while Braxton Hicks contractions worried her constantly she was determined to finish the semester. She wasn't due till mid-May and had reasoned that it would be easy to finish the semester.

It wasn't.

Being pregnant wore her out. She struggled to go to classes, to do her homework and just the idea of showering was exhausting. She barely made it through the day each day. By finals week she was worn thin and cried each time she peed, which was a lot.

Her final paper was turned in May 6th at 11:30 am and she was officially done with her Junior year. That same day only 10 hours later Elizabeth McCord was a mother.

Her water broke in the parking lot of the apartment complex when she and Henry had been planning to partake in a celebratory lunch at a Mexican Restaurant. Henry rushed inside for their bags and took her to the hospital. She had never seen him so flustered and panicked. Elizabeth was surprisingly calm in the car.

But the moment they pulled up to the hospital she wanted to vomit. She couldn't do this. She wasn't meant to be a mom. She was to young. She didn't know anything about it and her own mom wasn't there to advise her. She was dizzy she wanted to vomit. She was having a fucking baby. She got out of the car and her knees felt week.

It was there in the parking lot of the hospital that Elizabeth Adams McCord knew something was wrong. It wasn't that she was having a baby or that it was the child of something awful that had happened months prior. It was something more. But her mother wasn't there and she told herself she was being crazy.

She kept telling herself that up until she had a seizure while filling out her paperwork.

Henry was terrified. She was taken from him and he was left to pace the room. He called Will and his family, and then went back to pacing. A few hours later a nurse took him to the nursery and showed him a little boy in a blue hat.

Henry didn't believe in love at first sight. But upon seeing Adam Patrick McCord for the first time he changed his mind. He loved this little boy. He held the baby rocking him back and forth until the nurse announced that they had news for him about Elizabeth. Henry glanced at his son one last time and promised silently that he'd to whatever he could for this little family containing his wife and son.

~~MS~~

Will had arrived and the doctors delivered the grave news to her brother and her husband in an empty waiting room just after 1am. Henry heard the words, brain damage, coma, and other medical terms but he couldn't respond. He couldn't form words.

He sat quietly for hours and didn't even acknowledge his family's arrival. Will took responsibility for updating the McCord's and they allowed Henry to sit quietly alone in the corner for the night.

He fluctuated between tears and anger and a variety of other emotions.

They had gotten to a good place. They were ready to be a family. She was his wife and he loved her. What would he do if she died? Could he raise the little boy on his own? Could he look at him every day and see her eyes and blond hair on a little person but not get to see Elizabeth ever again.

When the clock hit 7am Anne McCord finally approached her son who was looking like a walking zombie. She pulled up a chair sat down. "You have a son."

Henry nodded, "Adam, after her parents."

Anne smiled, "Adam. That's lovely. Can we go see him?"

Henry pictured his son in his head with his chubby cheeks and round head, "He looks like her. He has blue eyes and the faintest bit of blond hair."

Anne smiled, "I love her blue eyes."

Henry let out a sob, "Me too!" He paused, "oh god mom, what if I never see her eyes again?"

"Henry, you are a father now. You have to keep it together for your family and pray that it will be ok." She looked at him willing him to snap out of it. "You need to get your shit together. You are a father now you can't fall apart like this. You are a husband, you can't fall apart like this because she trusted you to keep it together in times like this. Say a prayer, sit with your baby, do something besides sit here and stew."

Twenty minutes later Henry had introduced his family and Will to Adam and borrowed a rosary from his mother. After a long prayer in the chapel, he decided to find the doctor and find a way to sit beside Elizabeth. He wanted nothing more than to hold her hand.

He begged his way into the ICU and an update from the Doctor on Elizabeth's case left him confused. Critical but stable. Elizabeth had eclampsia and it was an unfortunately severe case; she could die. Henry knew that and the word critical outweighed the word stable in his mind.

Once he was seated next to her bed and he realized she wasn't even breathing on her own he couldn't hold it in anymore. He laid his head on her bed and let the tears fall freely.


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you, everyone, for the lovely reviews. I know some people are shocked and worried by this turn. I will warn you all. This story will have many turns. It's meant to represent love and family through the worst of times. It's about love persevering through even the worst of times.**

**This isn't the first or last hardship they will face. But each one will make them stronger as a family. **

**This chapter is dedicated to the wonderful lilacmermaid33! I absolutely love your reviews! Thank you so much! **

_Elizabeth. That was her name. Elizabeth Adams. She ran through a list of other memories that she knew to be true. Her parent's death. Christmases. Her brother. Her birthday._

_She knew all these things about herself. Somehow she still felt as though she was missing large parts of her memory. But she had no idea what was happening or where she was so that might have been the reason for her worry. Her eyes took in the surroundings and she was startled by what she saw._

_why was she watching as a man raped her? But not watching from below. She, a second Elizabeth was watching an unconscious Elizabeth while a man raped her. Her feet rooted to the floor she was unable to move or scream to help herself._

_She watched the incident for what felt like an hour. Then after her body found itself in a court house. She was watching herself marry a man with brown eyes. She tried to stop her. Tell her not to marry a stranger. But she was again rooted to the floor._

_She watched as the brown eyes man smiled and her heart melted. Perhaps he wasn't a stranger after all. Perhaps in this other life, someone loved her._

_Elizabeth wondered what it felt like to be loved. Not by her brother or her parents but by someone who had no obligation to love her. She heard the brown eyed man saying his vows. Then suddenly the scene changed and she was watching herself and that same man play scrabble, laughing and bickering about a double word score. She could hear his voice. But the words he was saying didn't match his lips. It was like watching a movie with the sound muted while taking on the phone._

_"Elizabeth, please be ok. I can't lose you please be ok."_

_She recognized the voice as the Brown Eyed man. But it was filled with pain. It sounded like he was crying. Her heart broke for him._

_But he was real somehow deep down she knew that. And that comforted her. He loved her. He was begging for her to be ok._

_Another voice started in. "Lizzie!"_

_It was her mother. She blocked out Brown Eyes voice in favor of her beloved mother's. "Mom?"_

_The older blond appeared. "My darling Lizzie! I've been waiting for you."_

_She embraced her mother with joy and tears. "How are you here mom?"_

_"I'm here to take you home to dad. It's time to go home. We've been waiting for you."_

_"Home?"_

_Her mother nodded. "Your father and I are so happy there. There's no sadness or pain. But you and Will haven't been there. We want you to join us."_

_Elizabeth paused, "Will isn't there?"_

_Her mother shook her head. "No sweetie your father and I are dead."_

_Elizabeth felt panicked, "I'm dead?"_

_"You are in-between life and death. If you follow me you can see your father. There won't be any pain."_

_"I don't think I'm ready to die. I think I have a husband waiting for me. I can hear him crying."_

_Her mother looked pained. "You have the choice. You can stay and fight. Or come home with me." With that her mother began to fade away._

_Panicked Elizabeth stepped forward to try and grab her mother._

Slipping away from life, alarms around her body started to beep and Henry panicked and began to sob, begging her to stay.

_She heard his cries from whatever abbess she was stuck in and froze. The idea of seeing her mother and father was tempting. She missed them terribly and the idea of being with them was comforting. She couldn't remember much of brown eyes. But something about him held her heart. The idea of dying wasn't as appealing as she remembered it. The idea of leaving the man crying the way he was, pained her. She wasn't done with life._

_But death was tempting. She'd considered it often in high school. Even got so far as to plan it once. She wanted nothing more than to be with her parents. Life was nothing without them. She'd lost them too young. And now she could see them forever. There would be no pain. Only love._

_She paused to hear the brown eyed man once more before making her decision._

_Suddenly she felt herself falling and she wondered what the hell she'd done._

**Please review! I love your thoughts!**


	13. Chapter 13

Hi guys, I know it's been a while. Mother Nature has not been kind to me or my hometown and I'm sad to say most of my writing is gone. Both for this story and others in the works. I've made the decision to end this story here with this chapter with the hopes of writing a sequel once I rebuild and rethink about the material I've lost. It will likely be called Being a Family or something similar and should be published this fall.

I've been away from FF for a while and only done sparse reading of those I've subscribed to. If you have written something in the past few months, thank you you are awesome and I can't wait to read it. If you have suggestions of things I need to read ASAP please drop them in a review.

PSA: add written chapters to FF when you finish them even if you aren't publishing right away just Incase something happens.

Special thanks to NYElizabeth for asking for more. I really needed to be reminded that this story means something to people. I'd been down and a bit sad about everything and your requests inspired me to get back to this.

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She knew he was her husband. The doctors had told her so. And his devoted actions only confirmed it. He seemed nice enough. Wonderful in fact. But she couldn't remember meeting him. She didn't feel the way she thought she should when she looked at him. She could remember bits and pieces of their lives together and the memories comforted her. But overall he seemed more like a tv character than anything. Someone she'd watched rather than someone she connected with.

The idea of being a mother was overwhelming and to be honest she hadn't believed anyone who told her she has a son. She briefly wondered if it was some kind of joke that would play on TV. After a day of denial the doctors, concerned that if they waited much longer their patent might reject her baby the way a cow rejects a baby calf that's been away to long.

So exactly 24 hours after waking up Elizabeth was presented with a small blue bundle. Henry grinned wide as he passed him off to his mother for the first time and baby Adam cooed.

The memory's didn't hit all at once. Most would take weeks to return. But in that moment she didn't need them. The feeling of love and contentment had rushed over her and replaced any emptiness she might have felt.

"Hi Adam." She whispered with tears in her eyes, "They tell me I'm your mom but I didn't believe it till just now." The tiny blond in her arms fussed and Elizabeth rocked him up a bit, moving his head up to sit more comfortably in her arms. Her heart swelled with love as he settled down to sleep and she glanced at Henry. "Our son is perfect." She whispered.

Henry smiles and sat on the edge of the bed to better see his little boy. "He is."

Elizabeth looked into his eyes and love washed over her again, though this time she knew the feelings where meant for her husband.

She smiled, joy filling her body. She had a wonderful little family even in the wake of so much pain and disaster, much of which she didn't even remember at the moment. Nothing else in this moment mattered but her family.

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Thanks for reading! I hope this isn't too rushed to the end. Let me know what you think. Please feel free to leave ideas for the sequel. I'm needing inspiration after losing a good 20 chapters of this story...


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